HEADLINE NOAA chief warns of weather satellite failure --------------------------------------- CAPTION In a letter obtained by The Associated Press the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration s chief warns the failure of the QuikScat satellite considered key to hurricane forecasting could bring more uncertainty to their forecasts. June 11 --------------------------------------- Supers Tony Winton - Associated Press Bill Proenza - Director National Hurricane Center - first bite is AP exclusive from Mar. 07. 2nd bite is from May 07 sources NASA liftoff File footage satellite animation guys in bunny suits APTN interview Hurricane Center graphics orange storm graphics warning cone quick sat of clouds NB. This is a voiceover transcript not a full shotlist [NotesANCHOR VOICE] CALIFORNIA 1999. NASA LAUNCHES THE QUICKSCAT SATELLITE. AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY THAT SCANS THE WORLDS OCEANS AND MEASURES THE WINDS AT THE SURFACE. IT WAS A HUGE BOON TO FORECASTERS WHO STARTED GETTING DATA FROM LARGE AREAS OF OPEN WATER WHERE NO MEASUREMENTS WERE TAKEN BEFORE. BUT QUICKSCAT IS PAST ITS DESIGN LIFE -- SOME SYSTEMS HAVE ALREADY STARTED FAILING AND THE WHOLE SPACECRAFT COULD FAIL AT ANYTIME. WINTON STANDUP. AMONG THE MOST WORRIED ARE FORECASTERS AT THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN MIAMI. THEY SAY THE ACCURACY OF THEIR PREDICTIONS WILL WORSEN BY AS MUCH AS 16 PERCENT IF QUICKSCAT FAILS AND THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT SOT BILL PROENZA DIRECTOR NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER IN AP INTERVIEW 316 -- We may have to err on the side of caution. The impact of which is more people disrupted and more impact on the economy. On the other hand we have to err on the side of the protection of life. And that s how we would handle it. FORECASTERS SAY IF FORECASTS ARE 16 PERCENT MORE INACCURATE THE FAMILIAR CONE OF UNCERTAINTY WILL HAVE TO GET BIGGER MEANING STATE AND LOCAL DISASTER MANAGERS MAY HAVE TO EVACUATE MORE PEOPLE. THE ADMINISTRATION DID HAVE A PLAN TO REPLACE QUICKSCAT IN 2009. BUT NOW IN A LETTER OBTAINED BY THE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION CONCEDES THAT ALTHOUGH FORECASTS WILL INDEED WORSEN IF QUICKSCAT FAILS IT WILL BE 2016 BEFORE THE NEXT SIMILAR SATELLITE IS LAUNCHED -- AND THAT HIS AGENCY HAS NOT BUDGETED FUNDS FOR AN EARLIER REPLACEMENT. WHILE ADMIRAL CONRAD LAUTENBACHER SAYS NOAA IS STILL STUDYING THE SOLUTION.........THERE IS NO TIMETABLE. AND EVEN WITH IMMEDIATE FUNDING A REPLACEMENT SATELLITE COULD TAKE 4 YEARS TO BUILD AND LAUNCH AND COST AS MUCH AS 400 MILLION. WHAT WILL FORECASTERS DO IF QUICKSCAT FAILS ONE PLAN WOULD BE TO BORROW SOMEONE ELSE S SPACECRAFT SOT Bill Proenza The only one that s a short-term solution that i would find as a mitigaring factor would be using someone else s satellite --- the europeans BUT EXPERTS SAY EVEN THAT SOLUTION WILL GIVE BLURRIER DATA THAN NOW PROVIDED BY QUICKSCAT TONY WINTON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI

• published: 16 Sep 2013
• views: 3